Durable and Shatter Resistant Glass Water Pipe That Is Easy to Clean

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a bong device that comprises a tubular pipe body having one or more apertures and a reservoir, a base, a detachable cylinder shape ice catcher, a stem that can be detachable, and a downstem sized to fit in the stem

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to smoking devices andvaporization devices. More specifically, the present invention relatesto a water pipe with a detachable ice catcher, a detachable down-stemholder (aka stem), and a silicone armor system. The invention also willinclude a one-piece water pipe design made from one single mold insteadof 4 individual pieces of glass being fused together.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A water pipe with a detachable ice catcher is in demand. A bong (aka awater pipe) is a filtration device designed for smoking cannabis,tobacco, or other herbal substances. The purpose of a bong is twofold:it uses water to filter and cool the smoke or vape, thus acting as afiltration and cooling system.

In other words, the bong allows the user to produce a smoother, cleanersmoke or vape. The bong typically consists of 6 major components: maintube, mouthpiece, base, down stem holder (aka stem), down stem, andbowl. However, such pipes, as known in the art, have a single commonfeature: their relative frailty.

Pipes, including water pipes, are known to break when subjected toforces that exceed their mechanical strength characteristics. At thecurrent time, almost all glass blowers in the USA buy these 6 componentsand then weld the mouthpiece, main tube, stem, and base together. Manybong manufacturers use a thin 5 mm down stem holder that will crack onimpact.

The second problem that all cannabis users face is the inability toclean the pipe thoroughly with a brush due to two major components, thepercolator and the ice catcher, which make it physically impossible tointroduce a brush and reach all the nooks and crannies. The percolatoris much more trouble than it is worth. Careful analysis shows that thepercolator serves no functional purpose except to entertain and allowthe seller to charge a premium price. No scientific evidence points toits benefits for this particular application. Meanwhile, the problemwith all ice catchers is that they are permanent because they use apinch design and do not allow the user to insert a brush for a thoroughcleaning. Thus, there is a need to develop a device to solve theseproblems.

The present invention is intended to address problems associated withand/or otherwise improve on conventional systems and devices through aninnovative bong device that is shatter-resistant and designed to providean effective means to clean the bong while incorporating otherproblem-solving features.

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present invention, a bong device is provided. Thebong device comprises a tubular pipe body having one or more aperturesand a reservoir, a base, an ice catcher, a stem and a tubular downstemsized to fit in the stem.

In one embodiment, the ice catcher is detachably connected to thetubular body. The ice catcher is a cylindrical rod with smooth roundouter edges to prevent injuries to the human fingers, and has siliconegrommets attached on each end and deployed within the air passagedefined within the tubular pipe body and configured to support one ormore pieces of ice.

In one other embodiment, the tubular pipe body, mouthpiece, base, andstem are made of glass and molded or fused together as a single piece.

In some other embodiments, the tubular pipe body, mouthpiece, and basecan be made of 9 mm-thick glass, and the downstem holder (aka stem) canbe made of 7 mm-, 8 mm-, or 9 mm-thick glass.

In some other embodiments, the present invention can be made of 9mm-thick glass throughout the entire bong device of the presentinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an illustration of one embodiment of the present inventionwith the detachable ice catcher.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of one embodiment of the present inventionwith the ice in the tubular pipe body.

FIG. 5 is an illustration of one embodiment of the present inventionwith the downstem shown inside the tubular pipe body.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of an alternative embodiment of the downstemof the present invention.

FIG. 7 is an illustration of one embodiment of the present inventionwith the detachable silicone stem and separate downstem.

DETAIL DESCRIPTIONS OF THE INVENTION

All illustrations of the drawings are for the purpose of describingselected versions of the present invention and are not intended to limitthe scope of the present invention.

The present invention provides a durable, shatter-resistant glass waterpipe (bong) that is easy to clean with a brush.

Although glass is the most sought-after material for water pipes, theproblem with this material is that glass will shatter when dropped. Thepresent invention provides a bong that won't crack easily if a userdrops it on the ground, even though it's made of glass.

The present invention includes a detachable ice catcher that allows theuser to insert a brush to clean the bong thoroughly with soap and water,eliminating the need for professional cleaning and chemical cleaningsolutions. All the water pipes currently on the market use a permanentpinch-style ice catcher that makes it physically impossible to stick abrush in.

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 5, the present invention provides a bong device100 that comprises a tubular pipe body 10, a base 50, an ice catcher 20,a stem 30 and a down stem 35. The tubular pipe body 10 may include amouthpiece 40 that fits comfortably in a user's mouth when in use. Thewhole bong can be either a straight tubular design as show in FIGS. 1-7or it can be a beaker style design which is similar to the shape of anerlenmeyer flask.

In the preferred embodiment, the tubular pipe body 10, mouthpiece 40,base 50, and stem 30 are made of glass and molded or fused together as asingle piece.

In some embodiments, the tubular pipe body 10, mouthpiece 40, and base50 can be made of 9 mm-thick glass, and the stem 30 can be made of 7mm-, 8 mm-, or 9 mm-thick glass. The base 50 can be made of 9 mm-18 mmthick glass.

To further strengthen the area surrounding the stem 30, which is theweakest point on the water pipe, an armor system can be provided, whichcan be made out of flexible silicone that acts as a shock absorberduring a sudden impact.

In some embodiments, the entire bong device 100 of the present inventioncan be covered by the flexible silicone that acts as a shock absorber.

The tubular pipe body 10 defines the air passage 60. The lower portionof the air passage 60 can be configured to serve as a reservoir 65 thatcan contain a cooling fluid (e.g., water).

In some embodiments, the tubular pipe body 10 may include a plurality ofapertures 70 formed through a sidewall to regulate airflow through thetubular pipe body 10.

As shown in FIG. 3, the ice catcher 20 can be detachable and deployedwithin the air passage 60 of the tubular pipe body 10.

In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the ice catcher 20 can bepositioned above an upper surface of water 25 put in the tubular pipebody 10 and can be configured to support one or more pieces of ice 27for cooling the airflow as it passes through the tubular pipe body 10.

In the preferred embodiment, the tubular pipe body 10 has an aperture 70that accommodates the insertion of the ice catcher 20 made of glass,which is in the shape of a cylindrical rod in 8 mm thick. The icecatcher 20 could be anywhere from 6 mm-9 mm. The optimal size appears tobe 8 mm and should have smooth round edges to prevent injuries to thehuman fingers. The ice catcher 20 can be suitably sized so that the icecatcher 20 can be easily detached from the tubular pipe body 10.

The ice catcher 20 can alternatively be of any other shape and cancomprise a suitable dimension to catch the ice 27 put in the tubularpipe body 10.

The ice catcher 20 can include grommets (which can be any grommets knownin the art) on each end to firmly secure the ice catcher 20 on thetubular pipe body 10. The grommet can be made out of silicone and itspurpose is to create an airtight seal.

Human lungs are highly sensitive to the sensation of inhaling warm orhot smoke, meaning that the smoke or vape ought to be as cool aspossible. The problem with all known ice catchers is that they arepermanent because they use a pinch design and do not allow users toinsert a brush for a thorough cleaning.

The ice catcher 20 which is detachable solves this problem. The icecatcher 20 can be made from a thick 8 mm glass stirring rod held inplace airtight with a silicone grommet.

The stem 30 can be a tube or tubular structure attached to one side ofthe tubular pipe body 10. The stem 30 can be configured to accommodatethe downstem 35 so that the downstem 35 can be inserted into the stem 30as shown in FIG. 7.

In some embodiments, the stem 30 can be made of silicone and detachablyconnected to the tubular pipe body 10.

The downstem 35, as shown in FIG. 5, can include an upper member 32 anda lower member 34. The upper member 32 and the lower member 34 can betubular structure with openings on each end. The upper member 32 and thelower member 34 can be connected together to form a single tubularstructure (downtem 35).

In some embodiments, the present invention can be connected to siliconedetachable clips known in the art design to hold the stem 30 and thedownstem 35 together.

As shown in FIG. 6, the downstem 35 can be a tube having a distal end 36and a proximal end 37. In some embodiments, the down stem 35 can includeone or more lower openings 26 near the distal end 36. In one embodiment,the proximal end 37 can include a stopper in a ring shape configured tostop axial movement of the downtem 35 when the downstem 35 is insertedinto the stem 30.

As shown in FIG. 5, the distal end 36 of the downstem 35 can bepositioned below the waterline 25 to allow the lower opening 26 of thedownstem 35 to be submerged in the water.

The proximal end 37 (opposite the distal end 36) of the downstem 35 canbe arranged outside one end of the stem 30 (opposite the end attached toone side of the tubular pipe body 10) and can include an upper opening27.

In some embodiments, the upper member 32 of the downstem 35 may includea greater diameter than the lower member 34 and tapered sides, as shownin FIG. 6.

The upper member 32 and the upper opening 27 of the downstem 35 can besufficiently large to attach a dry herb vaporizer which is known in theart.

In some embodiments, a shoulder 38 can be interposed between the uppermember 32 and lower 34 member of the downstem 35.

In the preferred embodiment, the downstem 35 and stem 30 are twoseparate components. The detachable stem 30 that can be made of siliconewill attach to the tubular pipe body 10 through a pre-made hole 45 inthe tubular pipe body 10, as shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 4, FIG. 5, FIG. 7,creating an airtight seal. The downstem 35, which is made out of glass,is then inserted inside the detachable stem 30 made of silicone.

In some embodiments, the present invention may be connected to a bowlknown in the art that can be placed on the upper end of the downstem 35.Such bowls can be cold-formed of glass and include a plurality ofairflow apertures.

In use, vapor from the present invention can be drawn through the flaredupper end (the proximal end 37 and upper opening 27) of the downstem 35through the lower opening 26 of the downstem 35 and into the waterfilled in the lower portion (reservoir 65) of the present invention.

The vapor can be further drawn through the ice placed in the tubularpipe body 10 and supported by the ice catcher 20 before being inhaled bythe user.

In the tubular pipe body 10, the water filters and the ice cools thevapor prior to the vapor passing into the user's lungs. The lowerportion of the tubular pipe body 10 (which can be the reservoir 65) canbe partially filled with enough water to submerge the lower opening 26of the downstem 35 and still provide a substantial volume of air fillingthe remainder of the reservoir 65 which can extend above the waterline25.

Although the invention has been explained in relation to its preferredembodiment, it is to be understood that many other possiblemodifications and variations can be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A bong device, comprising: a tubular pipe bodyhaving one or more apertures; the tubular pipe body defines an airpassage, wherein the air passage includes a reservoir; a base attachedto the tubular body; an ice catcher detachably connected to the tubularbody, wherein the ice catcher is a cylindrical rod with siliconegrommets attached to each end of the cylindrical rod and deployed withinthe air passage of the tubular pipe body and configured to support oneor more pieces of ice; a stem attached to the tubular body, wherein thestem includes a tubular structure; a downstem detachably attached to thestem, wherein the downstem is a tube having a distal end and a proximalend; the downstem includes a lower member and upper member with theupper member having tapered sides and a greater diameter than a diameterof the lower member, wherein the lower member is connected to the uppermember to form a continuous passage inside the down stem; and amouthpiece attached to the tubular pipe body.
 2. The bong device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the tubular pipe body, base, the stem, andthe mouthpiece are molded as a single piece of glass.
 3. The bong deviceas claimed in claim 1, wherein the tubular pipe body is covered bysilicone.
 4. The bong device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the downstemis attached to a dry herb vaporizer.
 5. The bong device as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the downstem includes a shoulder interposed between theupper member and lower member of the downstem.
 6. The bong device asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the stem is made of silicone.
 7. The bongdevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein the downstem is attached to a bowlhaving a plurality of airflow apertures.
 8. A bong device, comprising: atubular pipe body having one or more apertures; the tubular pipe bodydefines an air passage, wherein the air passage includes a straight tubeor beaker style reservoir; a base attached to the tubular body; an icecatcher detachably connected to the tubular body, wherein the icecatcher is a cylindrical rod with grommets attached to each end of thecylindrical rod and deployed within the air passage of the tubular pipebody and configured to support one or more pieces of ice; a stemattached to the tubular body, wherein the stem includes a tubularstructure; a downstem detachably attached to the stem, wherein thedownstem is a tube having a distal end and a proximal end; the downstemincludes a lower member and upper member with the upper member havingtapered sides and a greater diameter than a diameter of the lowermember, wherein the lower member is connected to the upper member toform a continuous passage inside the down stem, wherein the downstemincludes a shoulder interposed between the upper member and the lowermember of the downstem; and a mouthpiece attached to the tubular pipebody.
 9. The bong device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the tubular pipebody, base, the stem, and the mouthpiece are molded as a single piece.10. The bong device as claimed in claim 8, wherein the tubular pipe bodyis covered by silicone.
 11. The bong device as claimed in claim 8,wherein the downstem is attached to a dry herb vaporizer.
 12. The bongdevice as claimed in claim 8, wherein the stem will be detachable andmade out of silicone.
 13. The bong device as claimed in claim 8, whereinthe downstem is attached to a bowl having a plurality of airflowapertures.
 14. A bong device, comprising: a tubular pipe body having oneor more apertures; the tubular pipe body defines an air passage, whereinthe air passage includes a straight tubular or beaker style reservoir; abase attached to the tubular body; an ice catcher detachably connectedto the tubular body, wherein the ice catcher is a cylindrical rod withgrommets attached to each end of the cylindrical rod and deployed withinthe air passage of the tubular pipe body and configured to support oneor more pieces of ice; a stem detachably connected to the tubular body,wherein the stem includes a downstem detachably attached to the stem,wherein the downstem is a tube having a distal end and a proximal end;the downstem includes a lower member and upper member with the uppermember having tapered sides and a greater diameter than a diameter ofthe lower member, wherein the lower member is connected to the uppermember to form a continuous passage inside the down stem; and amouthpiece attached to the tubular pipe body.
 15. The bong device asclaimed in claim 14, wherein the tubular pipe body, base, and themouthpiece are molded as a single piece.
 16. The bong device as claimedin claim 14, wherein the tubular pipe body is covered by silicone. 17.The bong device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the downstem is attachedto a dry herb vaporizer.
 18. The bong device as claimed in claim 14,wherein the downstem includes a shoulder interposed between the uppermember and lower member of the downstem.
 19. The bong device as claimedin claim 14, wherein the downstem and stem are molded as a single piece.20. The bong device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the downstem isattached to a bowl having a plurality of airflow apertures.